Dante, Purgatorio
The Dream of the Golden Eagle
Near dawn Dante dreams that a golden-feathered eagle seizes him and carries him into fire. The imagined heat breaks his sleep, leaving him frightened and uncertain about his new surroundings. Virgil explains that Lucia came while he slept, carried him up from the valley and left him near the entrance to Purgatory. The waking explanation restores his confidence.
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In the sources
The encounter
LiteraryNear dawn Dante dreams that a golden-feathered eagle seizes him and carries him into fire. The imagined heat breaks his sleep, leaving him frightened and uncertain about his new surroundings.
Further detail
LiteraryVirgil explains that Lucia came while he slept, carried him up from the valley and left him near the entrance to Purgatory. The waking explanation restores his confidence.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows the supplied Thompson & Thomas edition of H. F. Cary’s translation. It describes Dante’s literary vision, distinguishing its assignments and reported claims from historical biography, other classical traditions and independently established accounts of an afterlife.
Original passages
Source 1
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante
A golden-feather'd eagle in the sky, With open wings, and hovering for descent ; And I was in that place, methought, from whence Young Ganymede, fromOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Purgatory and Paradise, Cary translation; active reader leaf 59
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0119-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0119-E001-P0059
- Original scan leaf
- 60
- Recorded leaf number
- 60
- Current Reader position
- 56
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Purgatory and Paradise: The Vision of Dante
I Am Lucia. Suffer me to take this man, Who slumbers. Easier so his way shall speed.' Sordello and the other gentle shapes Tarrying, she bareOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Purgatory and Paradise, Cary translation; active reader leaf 60
Passage read in the exact edition’s extracted canto text; whitespace-normalised anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Associated plates separately inspected.
- Edition
- IMJ-0119-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0119-E001-P0060
- Original scan leaf
- 61
- Recorded leaf number
- 61
- Current Reader position
- 57
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
